«It could be the 60’s…»

I’m home from Berlin, but if I could choose, I’d rather like to stay. I’ve never been so sad leaving a place, and I’ve never felt so happy, like I did in Berlin. Unconsciously I didn’t eat meat all week. I almost didn’t sleep, and I almost didn’t shop. But the personal amound I got from meeting all this incredible people, is more than I could ever imagine.

Me and my class arrived Circus Hostel somewhere in east of Berlin on sunday the 2nd of march 2008. When we were planning this trip at school and they said we were living on a hostel, I became a bit nervous. «Hostel?!» I replied «…like… in the horror movie?». But in fact, I must say that this place beat every hotel I’ve ever lived on. It was incredible cheap, the rooms could have been shabby, the common bathroom could have been ugly, but it wasn’t! It’s not that the place where you live should have anything to say. When going to a big city, you’re supposed to stay outside all day and all night long. It’s outside you’re supposed to experience things; like museums and shopping centers, clubs and cafés. And we did. But I have to be honest: for me, those things wasn’t at all what made the biggest impression.

I can’t believe how easily we got to know each other. Downstairs in the basement was the best bar I’ve ever been to. It was here me and the most of my class mates spend our evenings. Among retro wallpapers and grandma lamps, in some moments very good music and photos of interesting, historical persons, we got to know a whole bunch of cool people on our own age from all around the world.

…and it could have been the 60’s…

I really can’t believe how much fun I had, and how excited and inspired I felt when total strangers asked me about myself, «what I was doing back in Norway», and after hearing me answering, nodded interested and replied, «oh really …».

«I’m going to be a graphic designer, but actually I’m dreaming about becoming an author and study philosophy». I smiled and waved with my fine glass of red wine. … «Oh really?» Yeah really! It was fantastic! I chatted with some British person and told him that his accent made me think about Harry Potter. «So you look at me as a wizard?!» he replied surprised, and we had a really fun and random conversation.

The day before, I talked to a guy from USA, and I told him how much I love New York. Then suddenly he said, «I’m from New York!» and all I could think was «wow … this is really an actual human being from the magic city of New York!».

There were japanece and people from Chile, talking about Che Guevara and the paradox of how he has been commercilized.

Suddenly this Quebec/Canada-man came along and demonstrated his french-skills. I’m really weak for languages and cool words, and was of course cought in a state of highly excitement and fascination. Of course I had to ask him if he had seen my favourite french movie of all times, «The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain», and he had! Then he explained how he can play the soundtrack on accoridon, and I said that I play some of the Yann Tiersen melodies on the piano. We listened to the Yann Tiersen versions on his iPod, and he waved with his fingers around him as he was playing in the air. Fantastic!

But then I met this Finnish guy, and the expression «fantastic» got quite another angle of view. «I dream about becoming an author,» I said. «Oh really?» he replied. «Me too!»

The last night, me and my probably best friend and class mate Linn Heidi (aka Devendra Banhart), the probably kindest Belgian guy you could ever imagine, and my artistic Finnish soulmate author-aspiring crush, were up all night listening to Cornelis Vreeswijk in the lobby. Hadn’t it been for the computers there, it really could have been the 60’s.

Fading out from the bubble of bliss, I suddenly see that it all might be a one time experience; four fabulous days in the 60’s; Like a dream, like an illusion of the bohemian hippie life that every dreamer is longing for deeply inside their hearts. Maybe we’ll never meet again. Ever. This thoughts makes me so incredible sad, even though the last thing you said was «I see you». I’m trying to enjoy the memories, and to hold on to the good times we had. Cause one thing I know for sure: This will never ever be forgotten.

Polaroids by xlinnheidix. Others by me.